Decision Making - Friday, June 20

How did I get here? I don't mean the mechanical sperm and egg or stork in the cabbage patch how did I get here question. And I don't mean the existential formation of the universe, stellar nuclear reactions, creation vs evolution question. What I mean is, how did I end up on the PCT in the middle of the glorious Sierra all by myself? The answer to that question lies in the art or science of decision making. We arrive at a course of action by combining our experiences, knowledge and research along with our negotiations with all involved to form a course of action. That is decision making. So I ask the question again, "How did I get here?" A very kind red head must be involved.

Last thing I knew it was Thursday and we were riding the bus from The Valley to Tuolumne Meadows where we would spend the night. Friday morning our new friend and trail angel Big Red (who we had trail angeled at Big Bear a month ago) would pick us up, drive us to Independence where we would get our food resupply from the post office, drive us to the trail head at Onion Valley and we would be back on the trail together, Sally and I.

As I walked from the bus to our newly acquired campsite at Tuolumne Meadows campground I mentioned to Sally that my arch on my Planters Fasciitis suspect right foot was sore this morning. Somehow that statement initiated a cascade of decisions that finds me 19 miles in icing my foot in Woods Creek on a beautiful Sierra morning by myself.

Let's see if we can trace the anatomy of this decision. With my declaration of an aggravated arch Sally could not allow herself to hike the next section because of the loads I must carry to support the two of us. She saw those loads as the cause of my PF flair up and did not want to be responsible for my further injury. I reiterated that I did not think the weight was the cause and that we should continue forward with the plan. She would not have it. She explained she knew how much I wanted to do this next section of the PCT because it is the only section of the JMT I have not done and I was excited about it. I admitted to the truth of that statement, but again pressed for it to be a "we" adventure, not a "me" adventure. She softened the blow by saying she could rent a car and trail angel while I was in, including trail angeling me. We spent a few minutes checking week long rentals of cars. Our internet was abysmal, so we texted Jeff and had him check prices. At $330 a week plus gas and time to and from Reno the price seemed too high for a week. We discussed Sally volunteering in the Valley, but clothes, housing and commitment were all an issue. We had already been hanging around for ten days waiting on my foot, so another ten days were out of the question. Finally, Sally suggested she just fly home. This seemed appalling to me. What about "our" trip? She again reiterated how much she wanted me to get a chance to do the section of trail and how she couldn't bear to have me pack the weight on a suspect foot. We decided the order of operation was to first change her flight home, second to strip all the gear I did not have to carry from my pack and all the gear she did not need for the flight home from her pack, box it up and mail it home. Next, we would make reservation for her to stay at the hostel in Bishop for three nights ($15 a night) until her flight Monday morning. She could catch the bus to the airport from Bishop.

Before I knew it the gear needed for her to complete the trip was boxed and mailed, her airline ticket changed and her bed reserved. Our adventure of "we" for 91 days was shortened to 73 and I inherited an adventure of "me" for 18 days.

I hiked back over Kearsarge Pass 7 & 1/2 miles to reconnect with the PCT, then 3 miles up over Glen Pass and two miles down to Rae Lakes, an incredibly gorgeous set of large alpine lakes nestled between massive peaks.

I suspect I will adjust to this change, although I am about as nimble as a super tanker when it comes to course changes. I found myself missing Sally terribly these past 20 hours as I hiked through stunning country without my partner to share it with. Although I will miss her company for the duration I know from experience the emptiness will diminish as the days pass and I adjust to my new reality. It is beautiful. I am glad to be here. I am excited about covering new ground, connecting with some new people and finding how I do by myself as I am not a solo hiker. But I still find myself wondering how I got here.

A quick note: As Big Red drove us south to Independence we had to pass through Bishop and right by Schat's Bakery. I texted Crotalus and Far Out because I thought they were in Bishop, and they were. I told them we would be at the bakery at 10:30. When we walked in the door, there they both were. It was so good to see them after over a month of separation! Unfortunately, because we were on Big Red's dime we couldn't hang and talk for hours as the occasion demanded. But, both were staying at the hostel in Bishop and Sally was returning there after she dropped me off, so at least one of us got to spend hours catching up. Far Out would be a day behind me on the trail and Crotalus two days behind, so chances are our paths will cross.

Mile 789 to mile 793.2 plus 7.5 entry miles over Kearsarge Pass.